CINCO DE MAYO RECIPE: Pineapple Margarita
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We’ve received plenty of Margarita recipes this “Cinco de Mayo season.” But when is a Margarita not a Margarita?
A Margarita is more than a fruity tequila-based drink. It combines tequila with lime juice and Cointreau (or other orange liqueur) with a salted rim. Here’s the history of the Margarita and the original Margarita recipe. Orange and lime are the flavors that ride on the backbone of the tequila. In the spirit of the recipe, you can add fruit purée to make a guava, mango, passionfruit, peach, strawberry, etc., Margarita. But you can’t switch the orange liqueur for pomegranate liqueur (or other fruit liqueur) and call it a pomegranate Margarita. You’ve created a pomegranate and tequila drink that requires a different name. This recipe adheres to the script. It’s from the book, Frontera Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks by Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless. It’s rimmed with homemade rimming salt, flavored with guajillo chiles, medium-heat chiles. You may like it so much that you use it on all your Margarita recipes. |
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 Reposado tequila is aged to a pale yellow color. Photo courtesy Hornitos Tequila. |
PINEAPPLE MARGARITA RECIPE Ingredients For 8 Cocktails 1. COMBINE the tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur and pineapple purée in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. 2. WET the rim of eight 6-ounce Martini glasses with a lime wedge. Then dip the rims into a plate of the guajillo salt to coat them lightly. The pineapple purée can be made in advance. |
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3. FILL a cocktail shaker half full with ice and pour in a generous 1 cup of the Margarita mixture. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds, then strain into two of the prepared glasses. Repeat for the remaining Margaritas. 4. GARNISH each glass with a spear or two of cucumber and jicama, plain or dipped into the guajillo salt. This can be made up to three days in advance. It makes about 3 cups of pineapple purée. 1. PEEL and core ½ medium pineapple. Cut it into roughly 1-inch cubes (you’ll have about 3½ cups) and place in a blender or food processor. Add ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water, cover and pulse until the pineapple is finely chopped. Then process until smooth and foamy, usually a full minute. 2. STRAIN into a sealable container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days. 1. MIX 1 part pure crushed or powdered guajillo chile to 2 parts coarse (kosher) salt. 2. ADD a little more chile if you’d like extra heat.
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